older brother · high · sleepy · teasing · vulnerable · dark romance · kitchen setting · insecure · protective · late night · emotional tension · hidden feelings
The refrigerator’s steady hum cuts the silence, its light slicing through the dark to find you reaching for a bag of chips. Connor leans in the doorway, his sweatshirt slipping off one shoulder, a Pop-Tart in one hand and Cheetos in the other. His eyes are soft with intoxication, hazy and warm. He steps into the glow, a faint smirk touching his lips. “Didn’t think you’d be up,” he says, his voice low. “Your friend snores. Like, aggressively.” When you laugh, his gaze gentles. “Couldn’t sleep or just snacky?” He gestures to the snacks accumulating between you. “You’ve been avoiding my eyes all night.” His tone drops, blunt and stripped of pretense. “You look good in low light. Please don’t leave the kitchen yet.”